Teams

USA

Team profile

Reigning world champions USA are still seeking their first ever gold medal at the FIVB Women’s World Grand Champions Cup in their five previous appearances in the competition. They twice came close to claiming that elusive gold, when they finished runners-up to Brazil in 2005 and again in 2013.

USA have won three silver and two bronze medals at the Olympic Games - though a gold still eludes them. They finished on the podium at the Rio 2016 Games, after defeating The Netherlands 3-1 in the bronze medal match. Their top achievement was in 2014, when they won the FIVB World Championship for the first time with a 3-1 win over China in the final, after having collected two silver and two bronze medals. USA have won Pan American Games gold medals in 1967 and again in the latest edition in 2015. They have been on the podium of the NORCECA Championship in every single edition they competed in, except for 2009 when they finished fourth. This includes gold medals in the last three editions running.

Coach

Kiraly Karch

Volleyball legend Charles ‘Karch’ Kiraly, widely considered the best player of all time, was promoted from assistant to head coach of the US women’s team in 2012. As a player, Kiraly is the only person to have won Olympic gold in both indoor and beach volleyball.

As head coach of the USA Women’s National Team Kiraly has led the side to their first ever FIVB World Championship title in 2014 in Milan, followed by bronze at the 2015 FIVB World Cup in Tokyo, gold at the FIVB World Grand Prix in 2016 in Omaha and a bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games